15 Unfortunate truths about property investing

Despite what some people will tell you, property investment isn’t easy.

But it’s simple. Now that isn’t a play on words.

What I’m trying to say is that if you do what most property investors do, you’ll get the same results as most property investors get — and that’s not pretty.

And that’s partly because the way most Australians think about investment is wrong.

On the other hand, you’ll be heading in the right direction if you understand the following truths about real estate investing.

Sorry, but…

1. Property markets go through at cycles.

The value of well located properties increase over the long term, often doubling every 10-12 years.

But there are times every property cycle when values stagnate — sometimes for a number of years. And there are short periods when the value of your properties will fall a little. Get used to it. It’s just what they do.

2. Saying “I’ll be fearful when others are greedy and I’ll be greedy when others are fearful” is much easier than actually doing it.

Being a countercyclical investor isn’t easy.

Most investors are overly optimistic during booms when they should be cautious and most pessimistic during downturns when they are surrounded by opportunities.

3. No one really knows what the property market will do in the medium term

While in the long term our markets are driven by fundamentals, in the short term human emotion and crowd psychology play havoc with the best laid forecasts.

Then every year an unknown X factor comes out of the blue to surprise us — sometimes on the upside, but more often on the downside.

4. Real estate investment is a game of finance with some properties thrown in the middle

Strategic property investors buy themselves time in the market by having financial buffers in place to see them through the ups and downs of the property cycle.

Of course, cash flow is important to keep you in the game, but it’s capital growth that will get you out of the rat race.

13. There are 3 stages of your property investment journey

You first go through the asset accumulation stage which requires leverage and owning high growth properties; then you slowly reduce your loan to value ratio; until you can eventually live off your “cash machine” of properties.

Michael is a director of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He's once again been voted Australia's leading property investment adviser and his opinions are regularly featured in the media. Visit Metropole.com.au

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'15 Unfortunate truths about property investing' have 6 comments

I do enjoy reading your articles Michael. Wise words indeed, especially number 7. We have a number of clients who have been burned by commission greedy marketeers and not listened to the warnings we have given them.

Michael a very timely warning, having 50 years of experiences within the Property Development Arena, we are still at it even though we are in our eighties. We can see trouble ahead, thus for the first time in our (3 Brothers) life, we are not committed to holding “future blocks”.
We feel it will not be too long before the Mathematics of the World actually return to believing that 2+2 will only add up to 4 and not to 5 or 6 as they are trying to now.
Your advise to Newby Property Investors is so timely, some seem to forget that current Interest Rates are not permanent and you and I have seen them at 17%, not that I see them going there, however, it is quite likely they could rise to double today’s rates and those struggling with a mortgage at today’s “So Low” rates will have their property taken from them. I hope this never happens, but if you wish to call yourself an “Investor” you have to make yourself aware of the big one “RISK” and with nearly 40% of mortgages nearing a Stress State, the current market should be left to the professionals amongst us, until we all know just which way the Investment World will travel.
I admire the work you do for the lower end Property Investment Participants and we all started there and the warnings you are passing on as to the ACTUAL CONDITIONS today. Your warning on “Investment Gurus” is so current, I am, right now, trying to get a young woman out of a situation she has been placed in, by listening then acting on advice given her by a “Guru” where she invested into a market where the current Mortgage Stress is the highest in the State. Such Investors never ask the questions that matter, please keep up the great work you do, and you other “Professional Investors” should be letting our new starts to be more wary of the Guru Go-Getters (for themselves) remember folk, they are enjoying the commissions earned from your poor judgement, while you are struggling to keep those monthly payments up, for you only need a stutter in your employment picture, or a stutter in the Rental Payment and the whole picture of property investment takes on a very different and horrible stage and we know for early in our “professional property life” IN THE MID-SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES we found ouselves in a current dollar Half a Billion drop, we worked our way out of it without going bankrupt but it taught us just how fast the situation can change.
A message to first time property investors LISTEN TO WHAT MICHAEL IS TELLING YOU AND GET HIS ADVICE AS TO WHAT TO DO AS OF RIGHT NOW, plus find an extra source of income to protect your Monthly Payments for the next three years, just as Michael warns you to do, good on you Michael, if those selectors for the Queens Honours knew the real stuff, they should have out your name on the list.

Oh and folks, Michael and I have never met or talked, regards Ronnie Jones

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PropertyUpdate.com.au is Australia's leading property investment wealth creation website with tips, advice and strategies from leading real estate investment experts. Featuring topics like property investment, property development (helping you understand the process), negative gearing and finance (so you can borrow more from the banks), property tax (allowing you to structure for legal tax deductions and asset protections), negotiation, property management (assisting landlords and tenants understand their right responsibilities), commercial property (for experienced property investment individuals), personal development and the psychology of property investment success.